High Blood Pressure Leading Risk Factor Worldwide Death

A new global study headed by Dr. Mohammad Hossein Forouzanfar, of the Institute of Health and Metrics Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle, identifies obesity, smoking and high blood pressure as the top avoidable risk factors for death worldwide. According to the study results deaths attributable to high blood pressure increased by about 50% between the years of 1990 and 2013.

Exploring Study Results

The study estimated the number of years lived with a disability, years of life lost and number of deaths within a 23-year period and across 188 countries. The study also assessed the effects of avoidable risk factors by sex and age. Findings showed about a 50% increase in deaths due to high blood pressure.

The study revealed that hypertension, or high blood pressure, was the highest mortality risk factor for women and men. In the year 2013, the modifiable risk factors accounted for 30.8 million deaths. It turns out that high blood pressure seems to affect men more than women. During the span of the study the number of deaths from high blood pressure rose among men by 59% and for women only 39.9%. In the year 2013 alone there were 5.4 million men in the United States that lost their life to high blood pressure.

Over the 23-year time frame the study was conducted, smoking was found to be the second highest impact on mortality in men and women. Smoking contributed to 4.4 million deaths for men and 1.4 among women.

It has been known for a long time that being overweight has negative impacts on your health. The study revealed that high body mass index is the third greatest mortality risk factor for men and women. High BMI is more of a health issue for women than men. When the team conducting the study assessed the effects of dietary risk factors related to death, the results produced a combination of 14 risk factors that contributed to 21% of total worldwide deaths. Diets high in sugary drinks and food and red meat plus high BMI contributed to the development of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

The study assessed modifiable risk factors by country. The results were captivating. Southeast and South Asia revealed that household pollution was found to be the common mortality risk factor while the United Kingdom’s leading mortality risk factor is smoking, as well as other high-income countries. According to Dr. Forouzanfar and colleagues involved in the study, the results should help governments worldwide to focus on specific risk factor prevention programs.

LIfestyle and Diet Impact High Blood Pressure

People around the globe can voluntarily improve their health by eating a healthy diet, exercising, maintain a healthy weight for their body type and avoid smoking. People who have already been diagnosed with hypertension, or high blood pressure generally take measures to improve their health. However, since there are rarely and symptoms of high blood pressure, the condition goes unnoticed or patients think they are cured and chose not to take their medication.

Not acknowledging, ignoring or not taking measures to lower blood pressure increases your risk to developing other health issues as well. It is always a shock when someone learns they have hypertension. It strikes fear into most people and patients generally are willing to follow doctor’s instructions to improve health. Some patients even research further on their own and find natural supplements such as the highly effective PD120. This natural supplement helps maintain healthy blood pressure levels, has natural ingredients and no negative side effects.

Patients are encouraged to speak to their doctor about using PD20 before adding it to their daily regimen. Every patient is different and high blood pressure issues are to be dealt with specifically. Under a doctor’s guidance, PD120 can prove to be beneficial in helping to maintain healthy blood pressure levels.

Since high blood pressure is a global risk factor, everyone, whether you have hypertension or not, is encouraged to make life style improvements as a preventative measure. There are a variety of things you can do as mentioned below.

• Quit Smoking – Smoking not only causes cancer, but it causes plenty of other health issues, including having negative effects on your heart. Quit smoking immediately and never return to the bad habit.
• Lose Weight – There is food everywhere! There are even cable channels dedicated to cooking and eating food. It’s difficult to avoid eating too much. However, you can still enjoy eating your favorite dishes as long as you focus on smaller portions. It is also recommended that you avoid sugary foods that are unhealthy and cause weight gain.
• Exercise – Busy daily schedules can make anyone exhausted. Just be sure to fit 30 minutes of exercise into your daily schedule most days of the week.

Keeping your body and especially your heart healthy will promote healthy blood pressure. Stress is also a factor when it comes to heart health. So do your best to find ways to cope with life’s surprises and hardships in the healthiest way possible. Remember taking care of yourself and being aware of your blood pressure levels is essential to living a long healthy life.